Kenya

The Nature Conservancy’s priority in Kenya is to strengthen sustainable natural resource management practices while sharing the benefits nature provides to people. Our priorities in Kenya include, community-led conservation, endangered species protection, securing water and financing conservation far into the future.

Kenya’s natural resources present great potential for growth in the country. The tourism sector contributes close to 12 percent of Kenya’s GDP in 2014 (World Travel and Tourism Council, Kenya, 2014). In order to maintain this contribution, wildlife populations must remain healthy and shielded from challenges fuelled by poverty, insecurity, and water scarcity among others.

Key Reports and Assessments for Kenya Program

Matthews Range Ecological Assessment. The Mathews Forest was originally gazette in 1956 and declared a Kenya Forest Reserve in 1964. The area is characterized by steep topography and granite outcrops that make most of the area inaccessible. Mathews Forest is surrounded by Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy (a member of Northern Rangelands Trust) and provides many benefits to the Samburu pastoralists living in the region. The forest is the source of water, honey, medicinal plants, grazing and fodder for livestock. The assessment identifies key indicator species and areas in which to focus long-term community based monitoring while also documenting the current habitat condition and define levels of threat or degradation. Read the full report.

Socio-Economic Baseline Survey Results (Upper Tana-Managua and Chania). Kenya’s potential for sustainable development is bound to the health of the Tana River. The Tana River’s upper reaches provide drinking water for 4 million people in Nairobi and the river’s strong currents generate 60% of electricity for homes and business. The Tana River flows through land filled with over one million farm families. See the results of the survey.